Paint applicator unit



July 25 1967 w. J. BRINKER 3,332,102

PAINT APPLICATOR UNIT Filed'May 2s, 1965 We 3 INVENTOR j Wil/am J Hrzrzlfer ATT'Y United States Patent iice 3,332,102 PAINT APPLICATOR UNIT William J. Brinker, 308 E. 8th St., Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 Filed May 2S, 1965, Ser. No. 459,556 Claims. (Cl. 15-552) The present invention relates to improvements in manipulative paint applicators and is particularly directed to a paint brush attachment that will continuously supply controlled amounts of paint to a manipulated brush.

The main object of the invention is to provide a simplified, yet reliable paint applicator unit that can be readily attached to all types of manipulative paint brushes to secure a continuous and metered supply of paint to the paint brushes during use thereof.

Another object of this invention is to provide in a paint applicator unit, a flexible conduit which serves as a mounting means for the paint supplying manifold in the brush and as part of the valve means controlling the supply of Apaint to said manifold.

Further objects of the invention will be apparent from the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmental, side elevational view of my manipulative paint applicator, a remote source of paint under pressure being shown somewhat diagrammatically in said figure.

FIG. 2 is a section taken on line 2 2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section taken on line 3 3 of FIG. l.

In the drawings the reference numeral 5 generally indicates a conventional paint brush having a handle 6 usually made of wood and bristles 7 set in a well known manner in the upper end 8 of said handle. The paint brush 6 is illustrative only and may be any of the many types of manipulative paint applicators now available in the market lace.

p My paint applicator unit 9 comprises a mounting block 10 secured, as by screws 11, to one major side 12 of the paint brush handle 6 near the upper end 8 thereof adjacent the mounted ends of the bristles 7. The mounting block is preferably made of an inexpensive plastic material and has a longitudinal through-bore 13 and a lateral slot 14 formed therein which intersect centrally of the body of the block.

A hollow elongated manifold 15 is imbedded in the bristles adjacent the upper end 8 of the handle 6 and extends laterally of said brush, said manifold having side walls 16 and 17, a bottom wall 18, a top wall 19 and end walls 20 and 21 joined to form a hollow chamber 22 for the manifold. The top wall 19 has a row of laterally spaced apart paint dispensing openings 23 formed therethrough while one side wall 16 of the manifold has an integral nipple 24 (FIG. 2) projecting at right angles from its central portion.

A flexible conduit 25 preferably composed of a plastic material is xedly connected at one end to the nipple 24, said conduit extending through the bristles 7 and having a flexible manifold positioning portion 26 which is curved downwardly at 27 and extends through the bore 13 in the mounting block 10. The outside diameter of the conduit is somewhat larger than the diameter of the bore whereby the conduit may be axially moved through the bore in the block for adjustment purposes, yet grip the conduit firmly enough to hold the manifold 15 in proper position within the bristles.

The elongated portion 28 of the conduit 25 is connected to a remote and portable supply of paint under pressure, said supply comprising a container 29 (FIG. 1) capable of holding a gallon or so of paint which may be 3,332,102 Patented July 25, 1967 introduced therein through a capped closure 30. A hand operated air pump 31 is mounted upon the container and has a suitable valved connection with the interior of the container to maintain a head of pressure upon the paint therein and force the paint into and through the conduit 25. Shoulder straps 32 may be fastened to the container in order that-it may be carried on the person of the painter in a position which will permit convenient operation of the pump 31, as required.

A valve means is provided my attachment for controlling the iiow of paint through the conduit 25 to the paint dispensing manifold 15, said valve means comprising a lever 33 disposed in the lateral slot 14 in the mounting block 10 and pivotally mounted at one end in the slot on a pin 34 `seated in the block and spanning the slot 14. The lever extends over and across that portion of the conduit 25 which spans the slot 14 and projects upwardly above the outer major surface 35 of the block. A manually operated cam 36 is pivotally mounted at 37 intermediate its ends on the major surface 35 of the block, one end of the cam having a handle portion 38 while the opposite end has a sliding engagement with the free end of the lever 33.

It will therefore be understood that my unit 9 described herein may be mounted on many sizes and styles of paint brushes by reason of its simplified mounting means and the adjustable connection between said mounting means and the flexible paint conduit which is connected to the manifold. In operation the valve means would be manually moved to closed position by rotating the cam 36 and forcing the lever 33 down to squeeze together the conduit portion spanning the slot 14. The container 29 would then be filled with paint and strapped on the person of the painter and thereafter the pump 31 would be operated to create a head of air pressure on the paint in the container. Next the valve means would be opened a predetermined amount to meter suiiicient paint through the conduit and out through the holes 23 in the manifold 15. Painting would continue until the paint supply was exhausted and/ or relled; the pump being operated and the valve being regulated occasionally to secure the proper amount of paint supply in the brush for application to the surface being painted.

What is claimed is:

1. A paint brush having a handle and bristles set in one end of the handle, the combination of a mounting block on one side of the handle adjacent the bristles, a laterally elongated, hollow manifold imbedded in the bristles adjacent the handle, a portable supply of paint under pressure remote from the brush, a flexible tube connected at one end to the manifold and having its opposed end connected to the paint supply, said mounting block having means thereon for securing an intermediate portion of the tube therein to provide a flexible mounting means for the manifold within the bristles.

2. In a paint brush having a handle and bristles set in one end of the handle the combination of a laterally elongated, hollow manifold imbedded in the bristles adjacent the handle, a remote source of paint under pressure, a flexible conduit connected at one end to the manifold and connected at its opposite end with the paint supply, a mounting block secured on the handle adjacentl the bristles, and an adjustable connection between the mounting block and the flexible conduit.

3. In a paint brush as set forth in claim 2 wherein the r adjustable connection consists of a longitudinal bore formed through the block and through which a portion of the flexible conduit passes, the conduit having an outside diameter greater than the diameter of the bore.

4. In a paint brush having a handle and bristles set in one end of the handle, the combination of laterally elongated, hollow manifold imbedded in the bristles adjacent the handle and having a row of laterally spaced apart, paint emitting holes therein, a mounting block secured t0 a face of the handle adjacent the bristles, and having a longitudinal bore formed therein and a lateral slot formed therein intersecting the bore, a source of paint under pressure, a flexible conduit connected to said source and having its opposite end portion extending through the bore in the block with its terminal end connected to the manifold, and valve means in the slot and adapted to regulate the effective opening in that portion of the flexible conduit that spans the slot.

5. In a paint brush as set forth in claim 4 wherein the valve means consists of a lever pivoted within the slot in the block and projecting outwardly therefrom, and a UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,389,772 9/1921 Miller et al 15-590 X 2,041,173 5/1936 Fairchild 15553 X 2,488,056 1l/1949 Eisner et al. 15--604 3,195,170 7/1965 Howard 15-547 X 3,197,800 8/1965 Karkut 15-547 CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

E. L. ROBERTS, Assistant Examiner. 

2. IN A PAINT BRUSH HAVING A HANDLE AND BRISTLES SET IN ONE END OF THE HANDLE THE COMBINATION OF A LATERALLY ELONGATED, HOLLOW MANIFOLD IMBEDDED IN THE BRISTLES ADJACENT THE HANDLE, A REMOTE SOURCE OF PAINT UNDER PRESSURE, A FLEXIBLE CONDUIT CONNECTED AT ONE END TO THE MANIFOLD AND CONNECTED AT ITS OPPOSITE END WITH THE PAINT SUPPLY, A MOUNTING BLOCK SECURED ON THE HANDLE ADJACENT THE BRISTLES, AND AN ADJUSTABLE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE MOUNTING BLOCK AND THE FLEXIBLE CONDUIT. 